ITC Caseworker

The Caseworker is responsible for providing high quality and effective casework services for children, young people and families in the Permanency Support Program, supporting and developing carers, and supporting the recruitment of foster and kinship carers.

The PSP Caseworker, Clarence Coffs reports to the PSP Coordinator, Clarence Coffs. 

Primary objectives

· Ensure that children and young people and families in the Permanency Support Program receive services that meet their needs.

· Ensure foster and kinship carers are supported to provide high quality care and positive outcomes for the children and young people in their care.

· Establish collaborative relationships with a wide range of specialist and mainstream services to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families

· Develop and maintain strong collaborative partnerships with Aboriginal and CALD agencies. 

The PSP Caseworker will:

· Manage a caseload and ensure that individual targets are met.

· Ensure that the emotional, social, behavioural, developmental and educational needs of children and young people are met through the development, implementation and review of individual case plans.

· Ensure that children and young people’s wellbeing is actively safeguarded and that any concerns are reported immediately.

· Ensure that case work practice is responsive to individual needs and reflects the organisation’s values, policies and practice frameworks.

· Provide support and supervision to carers.

· Ensure that all case work tasks are thoroughly documented in the appropriate format in a timely manner.

· Participate in the recruitment, assessment, training and review of carers.

· Participate in team meetings, service networks, inter-agencies and forums as required.

· Contribute to the administration of relevant data bases.

· Participate in a rotating on-call roster.

· Work in partnership with government and non-government agencies.

· Promote the work of the organisation in the sector and wider community.

· Participate in professional development opportunities as required.

· Participate constructively in supervision and performance appraisals.

· Participate in the development and review of policies and procedures.

· Remain informed of policy and practice developments in Out-of-Home-Care and the Permanency Support Program.

· Be available to undertake higher duties and/or secondment as required; and

· Undertake other duties as required. 

Selection criteria

The incumbent will have:

 · A knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture and values and an awareness of the current issues faced by Aboriginal children, young people and their families.

· A tertiary qualification in social work or relevant field.

· Demonstrated experience in casework practice preferably in Out-of-Home-Care.

· Proven ability to relate to and work with children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

· Understanding of Out-of-Home-Care and Permanency Support policy, standards and quality frameworks.

· Experience in supporting carers or the capacity to develop these skills.

· Demonstrated capacity to develop collaborative relationships across professional and organisational boundaries.

· Ability to plan, organise and prioritise work.

· Good written and verbal communication skills.

· Ability to interpret and implement organisational policy. 

For more information on this opportunity please contact Karen Gaudoin at karen.gaudoin@mackillop.org.au

 MacKillop celebrates and draws strength from diversity and respects the dignity of all people. Every person at MacKillop has the right to be safe and to be treated justly. We value every person’s ability, cultural or linguistic backgrounds, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, intersex status, relationship status, religious or spiritual beliefs, socio-economic status, and age. 

It is our goal that MacKillop Family Services continues to evolve as a culturally safe, culturally competent, and welcoming organisation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families, and communities. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.